Truck-bolster.



S. S. KNIGHT.

TRUCK BOLSTER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 2'2, 1912.

1,053,514, Patented Feb. 18, 1913.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SHERWOOD S. KNIGHT, OF WEBSTER GROVES, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO SOULLIN- GALLAGHER IRON & STEEL COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

TRUCK-BOLSTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 18,1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Snmzwoon S. Kxion'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at lVebster Groves, Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Imm'ovement in 'lruck-Bolsters, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to truck bolsters, and particularly to fabricated trussed bolsters.

The main object of my invention is to provide a fabricated truck bolster that has sufficient strength to successfully withstand both the lateral strains and the vertical strains which it is subjected to when in service.

Another object is to provide a strong and rigid built-up truck bolster that can be manufactured at a low cost and which is so strains.

struction in which the tension member as well as the compression member is rigidly connected to the strut or king-post that is arranged between the tension and compression members at the center of the bolster, thereby producing a strong rigid structure which is not liable to break when it is subjected to excessive lateral strains.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a side elevational view of part of a car truck bolster constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of same; Fig. 3 is a vertical cross sectional view taken on approximately the line 3-8 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is an end elevational view of the bolster; and Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view on the line 55 of Fig.

Referring to the drawings which illustrate the preferred form of my invention, A and B designate the compression and tension members, respectively, of the bolster, and C designates the strut or king-post that is arranged between the tension and compression members at the center of the bolster. The truck bolsters of this general design which have heretofore been used comprised a bottom member or tension memher that merely bore upon the strut or kingpost but was not rigidly connected to same. In other words, the bottom member of the bolster merely acted as a tension member to strengthen the bolster verti "ally and did not impart any lateral strength or stiffness to the bolster. strains which the bolster received in service, due to excessive pulling and bulling shocks, very often caused the bolster to buckle horizontally and break.

My improved bolster, while it is similar in design to the trussed fabricated truck bolsters heretofore in use, dilicrs materially in principle of operation from said prior bolsters, owing to the fact that the tension member T3 is rigidly connected to the king-post C in such a manner that any lateral strains on the bolster are received and taken up by both the tension and compression members.

The compression and tension members of the bolster herein shown both consist of commercially-rolled channels arranged with their side legs or flanges projecting downwardly and the lwrizontal web of the tension n'lember B is rigidly secured to the lower end of the king-post C by means of rivets 1 or in any other suitable manner, the bottom portion 2 of said king-post being preferably provided with depending flanges 2 that lap over the side edges of the tension member B, as shown in Fig. 1, and thus reduce the shearing strains on the rivets 1. The top portion 4 of the kingpost C fits between the side legs or flanges of the compression member A, and rivets or other suitable fastening devices 5 pass through said top portion 4t and the web of the compression member A so as to rigidly secure the king-post and compression member A together.

The end portions of the compression and tension members can be connected together in various ways without departing from the spirit of my invention. In the embodiment of my invention herein-shown the end portions of the tension member B are arranged between the depending flanges on the compression member A, as shown in Fig. 4, and the web of one of said members, preferably the tension member B, is provided with integral extensions 6 that are bent upwardly and lapped over the web of the compression member A, as shown in Fig. 1, the side flanges of the tension member terminating flush with the ends of the side flanges of the compression member. Filler blocks 7, which Consequently, the lateral' preferably consist of castings, are arranged between the webs of the tension and compression members at the ends of the bolster so as to strengthen and reinforce the end portions of the bolster, and spring-seat members S, which preferably consist of castings, are arranged on the under side of the ten sion member B between the depending flanges thereof. The overlapping extensions 6 on the web of the tension member B are secured to the web of the compression member in any suitable manner, as, for example, by means of rivets 9 which pass through said extensions, through the web of the compression member, and through the filler blocks 7 and spring-seat members 8. The filler blocks 7 are also preferably connected to the web of the compression member at points some distance inwardly from the ends of the bolster. In the form of my invention herein shown the rivets 10 that connect the side bearings 11 to the compression member are also used to connect the inner ends of the filler blocks 7 to the web of the compression member.

The bolster is provided with the usual columnguides 12 which may either consist of separate castings secured to the compression member or integral portions of the spring-seat members 8.

A truck bolster of the character described has sufficient strength to successfully resist the lateral strains which itis subjected to when it is in service owing to the fact that the tension member and compression member are rigidly connected together at the center of the bolster by means of the strut or king-post to which both of said members are riveted or otherwise fastened. The kingpost is so designed that the rivets used for connecting it to the compression and tension members are not subjected to shearing strains, and this is also true of the rivets or fastening devices that connect the end portions of the compression and tension members to the filler blocks, owing to the fact that the tension member fits between the depending fianges of the compression member.

On account of its simplicity the bolster is inexpensive to manufacture, and as all of the members cooperate to transmit strains from one to the other the bolster has great lateral and vertical strength and consequently forms a very eiiicient truck bolster.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let ters Patent is:

1. A trussed bolster comprising a cambered compression member whose end portions are inclined downwardly slightly and are free from reverse bends, a tension mem ber extending clear to the ends of the compression member, a strut or king-post at the center of the bolster rigidly connected to both the tension member and compression member, filler-blocks arranged between said tension and compression members for holding the extreme end portions of said tension and compression members spaced slightly away from each other, integral portions on said tension member that are bent upwardly across the outer ends of said filler blocks and compression member and are lapped over the ends of said compression member, said filler blocks being riveted or otherwise permanently connected to the tension and compression nie-n'ibers and also to the overlapped portions of said tension member, and side bearings and spring-seat members on the top and bottom sides of the bolster, respectively, that are securely connected to said filler blocks.

2. A trussed bolster comprising a channel shaped compression member which is cambered slightly and whose end portions are free from reverse bends, a channel-shaped tension member bent upwardly from the center of the bolster so that the end portions of same will lie between the side flanges of the compression member, a center strut or kingpost rigidly connected to both the tension and compression members, filler blocks at the ends of the bolster arranged between the webs of the tension and compression members and rigidly connected to same, integral extensions on the web of said tension member which are bent upwardly across the outer ends of said filler-blocks and compression member and are lapped over the web of the compression member to which they are connected by fastening devices that also pass through the filler blocks and through the web of the tension member, side bearings connected to the web of the compression member and to said-filler blocks, and spring seat members permanently connected to the web of the tension member and to said fillerblocks and located inside of the points where the extensions of the tensionmember are bent upwardly.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses, this nineteenth day of August 1912.

SHERlVOOD S. KNIGHT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C. 

